Cyclonic counterflow separator



I. B. HUMPHREYS 3,323,646

CYCLONIC COUNTERFLOW SEPARATOR Original Filed Jan. 19, 1959 June 6, 19672 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [RA 5. HU/l/Pfl/FEYS BY ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,323,646 CYCLONIC COUNTERFLOW SEPARATOR Ira B.Humphrey's, Denver, Colo., assignor to Humphreys Engineering Company,Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Continuation of appiicationSer. No. 787,646, Jan. 19, 1959. This application Dec. 13, 1963, Ser.No. 332,330 1 Claim. ((11. 209-211) This application is a continuationof my co-pending application, Ser. No. 787,646, filed Jan. 19, 1959, nOWabandoned.

This invention relates to a counter flow sizer and is directed to anapparatus for removing mineral from other solid subject matter which isfed to the machine in the form of a slurry. In its operation a sizing ofthe mineral which is removed from the slurry takes place, but thissizing is not precise and it would be said that the apparatus performsin general like a classifier. Precise sizing is not obtained because theseparation or classification in the apparatus is by specific. gravityand not by volume.

or mass. Both large and small heavy fines are discharged, while largeand small light fines are recovered. This intermixing of fines by massis actually desirable in the recovery operation.

The apparatus has as its primary object the recovery of minerals from aslurry made up of solids and water.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus whichis extremely well suited for use in combination with the helical chuteconcentrators of my US. Patents 2,431,559 and 2,431,560, dated Nov. 25,1947, which are shown in combination with and hereinafter described inconjunction with the present invention. A still further object of theinvention is the utilization of what I term a counter flow current in asizing apparatus to effect a mineral reccovery by a novel and highlyefiicient and effective method.

Another and further object of the invention is the provision of anapparatus for carrying out the improved method, which is extremelysimple and sturdy of construction and which can be produced at acomparatively low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the apparatus and the method practicedthereby will appear from the follow ing description when read in thelight of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the sizer apparatus illustrated inconjunction with a concentrator.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is .a horizontal FIG. 1.

Having reference to the drawings which illustrate an apparatus found tobe suitable for practicing the improved method and which illustrate theapparatus in conjunction or combination with my hereinbefore referred topatented helical chute concentrator, the helical chute concentrator isdesignated as an entirety by A. The precise and exact construction aswell as operation of the helical chute concentrator can be determined byreference to the aforementioned US. patents. It is sufliicent to sayhere that 1 is the feed box or hopper of this helical chute and from itthe helical chute 2 is fed the discharge from the counter flow sizerconstituting the specific present invention.

For manufacturing advantages, as well as providing easy and rapidassembly and disassembly, the counter fiow sizer is composed of threeelements, namely, a head B, an upper section C and a lower section D allof which section on the line 4-4 of section on the line 5-5 of 3,323,646Patented June 6, 1967 are secured in assembled position by suitableelongated bolts or tie rods 3, 4 and 5. The exact constructions of theseelements can be determined by reference to FIG. 3 of the drawings andwill be hereinafter specifically described.

The upper section C has an upper cylindrical ring chamber 6 at its upperend. This chamber is closed at its top by the cap-like portion 7 of thehead B. The head B at its under side is provided with a downwardly andcircumferentially extending flange 8 which is disposed in spacedrelationship to the wall of the section C forming the chamber 6. Thelower end 9 of this flange stops short of the inwardly tapered portionof the section C which forms a conical surface 10. The disposition andcharacter of the flange 8 is such as to provide at the lower end of thechamber 6 a circumferentially extending slot-like exit or outlet 11 atthe bottom of the chamber. The head B is provided with an overflow pipeor conduit 12 the lower end of which is in communication through apassageway 13 with an overflow chamber 14 formed by the head flange 8. I

The section C extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the conicalsurface 10 and is of elongated cylindrical shape to form a standpipe 15having a lower open end 16.

The upper cylindrical ring chamber 6 is provided in its top with an airrelief port .17 which communicates with the overflow pipe 12. Theoverflow pipe is provided at its open outlet end with a flange 18 whichis suitably secured, see FIG. 1, to the feed box or hopper 1 of thehelical chute concentrator.

The upper cylindrical ring chamber 6 is provided with a tangentiallyextending slurry inlet pipe 19 to which a slurry of sand and water orsolid subject matter containing mineral is delivered from any suitablesource. Due to the tangenial disposition of the pipe 19 the slurry iscaused to rotate, see FIG. 4, in a counter-clockwise direction about thecylindrical ring chamberfi.

The lower section D has at its upper end a circumferentially extendingcylindrical ring chamber 20 having an open top which is closed by thecircumferential collar 21 having abutment withthe under side of theouter face portion 22 of the inwardly and downwardly extending wallforming the conical surface 10 of the upper section. A water inlet pipe23 communicates with the chamber 20 and extends tangentially outwardlytherefrom. Water from a suitable source of supply is fed to the chamber210 through the inlet pipe 23 and is caused to rotate about that chamberin a clockwise direction. Thus the fluid or liquid movement in thechambers 6 and 20 are the reverse of one another.

The chamber 24) has a circumferentially extending slotlike opening orpassageway 24 in its bottom which pas sageway is formed by the spacebetween the wall portion 25 of the section and the lower end 26 of thestandpipe 15.

At its bottom the lower section D is provided with a reception chamber27 which is so termed because it receives the heavier particles as theysink to pass to discharge through the outlet 28 in the bottom of thechamber 27. The chamber 27 is conical in shape in that its wall 29 isinclined inwardly and outwardly.

The lower open end 16 of the standpipe is in communi cation with thereception chamber. The water passageway 24 of the chamber 20 opensinwardly to communicate with the lower open end 16 of the standpipe.

At the upper end of the standpipe there is what I term a sorting pointor throat 30. As will be hereinafter described, a vigorous counter flowsizing action takes place at the point of throat 30.

The mode of operation of the apparatus and therefore the methodpracticed by it is as follows: The feed to the supply pipe 19 rotatesabout the upper chamber 6 in a counter-clockwise direction as indicatedby arrows in FIG. 4. This rotary movement of the slurry about thechamber 6 causes solids in the slurry to be centrifuged to the outsideof the chamber. In FIG. 3 of the drawings the solids are illustrated bytriangles with the open triangles, such as those designated 32,designating slow settling solids and with the solid or black triangles,such as those designated 33, being fast Settling solids. it will be seenfrom FIG. 3 that the solids work their way downwardly and inwardly downor over the conical surface 10 to the sorting point or throat 30.

Simultaneously with the introduction of slurry through the pipe 19,Water is admitted through the water supply pipe 23 and this rotatesabout the chamber in a clockwise direction, and, while still rotating,feeds downwardly through the passageway 24 and travels upwardly, see thearrows in FIG. 3, through the standpipe l5 and flows through thesettling solids which have entered the standpipe and have beencentrifuged against the walls of the standpipe. This ascending rotatingcolumn of water carries upwardly the slow settling particles that havebeen entrapped at the sorting point or throat 30.

It will be seen that the settling solids at the sorting point or throat3t) meet the rising current having a counter flow direction of rotationas this rising counter flowing current reaches and passes the top of thestandpipe. There is a vigorous counter flow sorting action at thesorting point which sifts and sorts the slower settling mineral grainsfrom the faster settling mineral grains represented by the solid orblack triangular configurations 33. The slower settling grains arecarried upward into the overflow chamber 14 and eventually outwardlythrough the overflow conduit 12 for delivery to the helical chuteconcentrator A.

The result of the foregoing is that the fast settling mineral grainssettle into the reception chamber 27 and escape through the dischargeoutlet 28 connected to any suitable source of collection.

There is within the overflow chamber 14 a hindered settling action andwithin the standpipe there is a film concentrating action on the wallsof the standpipe. At the bottom end of the standpipe there is a sortingaction at the point 34 where the incoming rotating stream of wateremerges from the passageway 24 for entry into and upwardly in thestandpipe. The air relief port 17 is provided to allow the escape of anyair that may have been entrapped in the slurry feed.

Modifications and changes can be made in the invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof. The device need not necessarily be used with ahelical chute concentrator and obviously the precise nature of thedischarge outlet 28 can be changed from that illustrated in thedrawings. In view of the modfications which are possible in theapparatus and yet have the apparatus perform the novel and improvedmethod, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of thehereinafter following claim.

I claim:

A sizer comprising, a vertical standpipe of uniform diameter having openupper and lower ends, an upper ring chamber of greater inside diameterthan the diameter of said standpipe positioned coaxially above the upperend of the standpipe and having an open lower end in communication withthe upper end of the standpipe throughout the circumference of thestandpipe, a tangentially arranged slurry supply pipe communicating withsaid upper ring chamber, a second and lower ring chamber formedconcentrically about the lower end of the standpipe and communicatingwith the standpipe throughout the circumference of the lower endthereof, a water supply pipe arranged tangentially to and communicatingwith the lower ring chamber, a conical shaped reception chamber formedas a bottom extension of the lower ring chamber below and communicatingwith the lower end of the standpipe and provided with a dischargeoutlet, an overflow chamber formed coaxially above the upper end of thestandpipe and having a uniform diameter between open upper and lowerends, an overflow conduit, the lower end of the overflow chamber beingin com-munication with the upper end of the standpipe and the upper endof the overflow chamber being in communication with the overflowconduit, an air relief port providing communication between the upperring chamber and the overflow conduit, and the tangential dispositionsof the slurry and water supply pipe being such that the rotativemovement of the slurry in the upper ring chamber is reverse to therotative movement of the water in the lower ring chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS and Sons, Inc., N.Y., 1945, TN500 T3 C. 3 (Sect. 8, page 01 and Sect. 9, page 01).

FRANK W. LUTTER, Primary Examiner. HARRY B. THORNTON, Examiner.

